Who's online

OITP Digital Literacy Task Force Community

After revising the draft report based on feedback from ALA membership as well as feedback from the ALA units represented on the Task Force released “Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy,” (pdf). This report provides a broad overview of digital literacy in the context of school, public, and academic libraries.

Thanks to everyone who has posted comments or sent them to us directly. This is just a quick reminder that if you still would like to comment we will be closing the comment period THIS FRIDAY, October 19th.

After revising the draft report based on feedback from ALA membership as well as feedback from the ALA units represented on the Task Force released “Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy,” (pdf). This report provides a broad overview of digital literacy in the context of school, public, and academic libraries.

After revising the draft report based on feedback from ALA membership as well as feedback from the ALA units represented on the Task Force released “Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy,” (pdf). This report provides a broad overview of digital literacy in the context of school, public, and academic libraries.

The report explores the ways that various libraries support digital literacy programs for their students and patrons. It discusses the current digital literacy policy context, including digital inclusion, education and lifelong learning, and workforce development.

In addition to this new report, the Task Force is developing a set of recommendations to the library community as well as policy makers and potential funders to continue and expand libraries’ engagement and leadership to effect meaningful and sustainable change in our communities. These recommendations will be a companion piece to this report.

The OITP Digital Literacy Task Force is pleased to share this preliminary report and is seeking feedback from across the profession on this draft. The report provides a broad overview of libraries and digital literacy. It discusses the current policy context, including digital inclusion, education, life-long learning, and workforce development. The report outlines library-specific issues and opportunities. It reaffirms the need for traditional, text-based literacy in reading and writing as a foundation for other literacies. Finally, the report serves as a launching point for the development of a set of recommendations to the Association and the broader library community to continue and expand libraries’ engagement and leadership to effect meaningful and sustainable change in our communities. The Task Force will develop these recommendations as a companion piece to this report.

As you review the draft, please focus your feedback on substantive issues. Specifically, the task force asks representatives of each library type to consider how your library is portrayed. Are the examples demonstrative of the work you do? Are the issues that are most important to you and your colleagues addressed? Please provide comments that in turn provide the task force with enough information to effectively address your suggestions or concerns.

How to comment

When you open the report you will notice that each paragraph is numbered: [para 1], [para 2], and so on. To ensure that we can track each comment, please refer to the page number and the paragraph number at the beginning of your comment. Please do this for each section you wish to comment on.

Please use the comment option below to submit your comments. Task Force members will review each comment when the public comment period is over. Please do not submit line edits. Prior to publication we will have a copy editor review the final draft version. At that time endnotes will be formatted in APA style. If you have a clarifying question, please send an email to mvisser@alawash.org.

Thank you for your help and insights to this work. The comment period is open from September 18 to October 19, 2012.

Thanks to everyone who has posted comments or sent them to us directly. This is just a quick reminder that if you still would like to comment we will be closing the comment period THIS FRIDAY, October 19th.

The Digital Literacy Task Force of the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy developed the following recommendations to advance and sustain library engagement in digital literacy initiatives nationwide as a companion to its January 2013 report Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy. Libraries of all types – school, academic, and public – play a vital role in ensuring all people have the skills and abilities to succeed in the Digital Age.

The Digital Literacy Task Force of the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy developed the following recommendations to advance and sustain library engagement in digital literacy initiatives nationwide as a companion to its January 2013 report Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy. Libraries of all types – school, academic, and public – play a vital role in ensuring all people have the skills and abilities to succeed in the Digital Age. These conclusions and recommendations culminate the task force’s work over 18 months and constitute a call to action on the part of the ALA, library education programs, front-line libraries, various funding bodies, and the diverse stakeholders who use and support library services.

One over-arching recommendation is that ALA should continue to have a member body that focuses on digital literacy and libraries. This group should consist of members with broad ALA representation. It would provide library leadership in digital literacy initiatives across and beyond the library community and track progress against these recommendations. It also would provide a central place for ALA units to collaborate on digital literacy projects, share resources, and develop advocacy that speaks with a single library voice.

Dramatic shifts in how information and communications are enabled and disseminated via the Internet demand an expanded vision of literacy to ensure all people in the United States, regardless of age, native language, or intellectual capacity, are able to fully participate in the digital age. “Digital literacy” has emerged as a broad term to encompass information literacy abilities “requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information”[1], as well as competencies in creating content, reflecting on one’s own conduct and social responsibility, and taking action to share knowledge and solve problems.[2] Digital literacy also is associated with the ability to use computers and other devices, social media and the Internet. Digital literacy itself is an emerging concept but there needs to be a common understanding of the parameters it covers.

The March 2010 release of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) brought new attention to digital literacy as an essential element to ensuring all Americans benefit from opportunities afforded by broadband access. According to the plan, about one-third of the population does not have a broadband Internet connection at home. Digital literacy-related issues were identified as key barriers to adoption in addition to access and cost.

Federal, state, and local government agencies; community-based organizations; educational institutions; public policy organizations; and foundations recognize that our society is at a critical juncture with regard to the changing information landscape and competencies needed to thrive in the digital environment. How we, as an organization and a nation, respond to the challenges will have a lasting impact on education, economic development, civic engagement, and global competitiveness.

Our nation’s school, public and higher education libraries are an essential part of the solution.